Anews report begins, “An Iowa construction worker and QAnon follower was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, when he led a crowd chasing a police officer who diverted rioters away from lawmakers.”

That police officer, Eugene Goodman, is a hero.

To the judge, the defendant, or convict, said something I found poignant. Douglas Jensen said that he wanted to return to “being a family man.” To return to “my normal life before I got involved in politics.”

Like everyone else, I’m sure, I’ve seen lives destroyed by drugs and alcohol — or if not destroyed, then derailed or postponed. Politics, taken to an extreme, can do the same: warp the mind, twist the soul — all that.

• A headline: “US Border Cities Strained Ahead of Expected Migrant Surge.” Sure. This report is datelined El Paso. What I have long wished is this: When Americans, from sea to shining sea, across the fruited plain, think about immigration policy, they should spare a thought for those living in border towns — because these towns often bear the brunt of our policy, or non-policy. “We’re all in it together.” That is a sappy old line. But sometimes it applies. The border towns ought to be supported, by the country at large. These places should not have to be subjected to undue suffering, or undue responsibility.

• A long time ago, when I was in high school, I read the memoirs of Vernon Walters, Silent Missions. General Walters was an Army officer, a diplomat, a spymaster, etc. I was struck by the dedication at the beginning of his book: “To the brave men and women who have laid down their lives on the invisible battlefield that we might live free.”

I thought of that when reading this news story: “Group aiding kin of slain CIA officers comes out of shadows.” That group is the CIA Officers Memorial Foundation, which, according to the article, “provides college tuition and other expenses to children and spouses of fallen officers.”

I’m glad for the existence of this group, this charity.

• Like many, Governor Ron DeSantis (R., Fla.) speaks of “Big Pharma,” as here. One of my observations is: It’s “Big Pharma” until you need a life-saving drug — or even something to get you through the wintertime sniffles.

As a rule, “Big” is a pejorative: “Big Oil,” “Big Tech,” “Big Pharma.” And there are dangers to bigness, of course. But sometimes “Big Oil,” “Big Tech,” and “Big Pharma” can deliver to you things that small oil, small tech, and small pharma cannot.

• George F. Will wrote in favor of the Tillis–Sinema immigration bill. He said it would right “two glaring wrongs that large American majorities recognize as such.” These are (1) “the insecure southern border” and (2) “the decades-long callousness toward those called ‘dreamers.’”

The Tillis–Sinema bill has been squelched, as neither Republicans nor Democrats want it.

I think of the Simpson–Bowles commission and its proposal on the federal deficit and debt. This went down in 2010 — and “down” is the word. Neither Republicans nor Democrats wanted the proposal. And the Democrats included President Obama.

In subsequent years, did Simpson–Bowles look pretty good to people — even to those who had opposed it, or had dismissed it out of hand? I bet it did.

When we podcasted in 2019, Mitch Daniels told me that we — we, the country — are going to have to accept something like Simpson–Bowles eventually. We will do so when we’re absolutely desperate. It would have been better to do so in 2010.

How about Tillis–Sinema? Are we going to have to accept something like it eventually? Could be.

There is an old line in politics: You can have the issue or you can have the solution. Which do you want? A lot of people want the issue, rather than the solution. And you know? The same is true in private life. (That’s a separate column.)

• “In her first act as Los Angeles mayor,” says a report, “Karen Bass declared homelessness a state of emergency in the city.” It will be interesting to see what she does. Do you know who made homelessness a focus of his own mayoralty? Kevin Faulconer, who was mayor of San Diego from 2014 to 2020. He is a Republican. I wrote about him last year, here.

Faulconer wanted to be governor. But statewide Republicans preferred the likes of Larry Elder and Caitlin Jenner. That is a tale of our time.

• What a thrill, the final of the World Cup. What a thrill, to see Lionel Messi cap his career this way. But what a shame that the Cup was held in a police state, Qatar. I don’t believe that the Olympic Games or the World Cup should be held in police states. Pick a democracy.

And I recommend a Washington Post editorial, from Saturday: “This was a World Cup of human rights horrors.”

• “Iran authorities arrest actress of Oscar-winning movie.” (Article here.) From the depredations of this evil regime, no Iranian is immune.

• One of Nancy Pelosi’s last acts as speaker of the House will have been to speak for the Uyghur Policy Act. For a transcript of her remarks, go here.

She began by remembering her longtime work on human rights with two Republican congressmen devoted to such concerns: Chris Smith and Frank Wolf. The latter retired from Congress in 2015, after 34 years. He was a warrior, indefatigable. Wolf and Smith seem irreplaceable.

“It is often said,” Pelosi noted, that “the most sinister and cruel form of torture employed by authoritarian regimes is to tell the oppressed, ‘Nobody even remembers you.’” Congress, she continued, “remains bipartisan, bicameral, unbreakable in our commitment to shining a bright light on the persecution of the Uyghurs.”

At the conclusion of her remarks, Pelosi said,

For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has waged a campaign of cruelty, terror, and repression, from cracking down on Tibet, intimidating the people of Taiwan, restricting basic freedoms in Hong Kong, jailing journalists and dissidents, and more. We support and salute the courageous citizens across mainland China who are in the streets today speaking out for their freedom.

• Frances Hesselbein was the longtime leader of the Girl Scouts. Very interesting life, as this obit relates. And she made it to a buck-oh-seven — 107 years old.

• John Corry, the journalist, has died at 89. I loved reading him when I was coming of age. His articles aside, I read his memoirs, My Times. This book made journalism seem . . . well, just a great way to spend a life. “John Corry” will always be an important name to me.

• Care for some language? The plural of “Jones” is “Joneses” — as in “keeping up with the Joneses.” The plural of “Woods” is “Woodses.” Every year, when covering Tiger and his son Charlie, golf announcers say “the Woods,” meaning both of them. Like to drive me nuts.

• “Keep your eye on the ball.” Every golfer knows that. “Look up and you’ll see a bad shot.” That’s an old quip. But you know who doesn’t look at the ball, but rather the target? Annika Sorenstam, one of the greatest golfers of all time. Watch a shot of hers from last weekend, here. David Duval and other stand-outs have played this way as well.

Much to explore and explain here, but I’m movin’ on . . .

• Ben Verlander, the baseball commentator (and brother of Justin), circulated a video that made me smile. It shows Japanese fans at the World Cup — picking up their own trash and also that of others. Classic. Classic.

• Man is New York crowded this holiday season. You can hardly move around, on foot. The sidewalks are mobbed. You’re no better off in cars (except subway cars). The streets are clogged. This is so frustrating — and so wonderful. During the pandemic months, you could practically see tumbleweed rolling down the sidewalks and streets. The people are back. Which is such a relief, so encouraging . . .

• Ann Arbor, my hometown, is known for several things. A great concert hall. A great sports program. A great medical center. And just about the fattest squirrels on earth. Holy moly, do we have some porksters. Check it out.

• Any photos for you, here at the end? I mean, photos taken by me? (Someone else shot the porky squirrels.) Well, I’ve got the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club for you. (Grosse Pointe is outside Detroit.) Not much yachtin’ goin’ on in December, I can tell you!

And here is the window of a bakery in NYC, all done up:

Bless you and talk to you soon.

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